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Team Sky Presents Roster for Tour de France 2011

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Team Sky Procycling has revealed its roster for the Tour de France 2011. Photo Fotoreporter Sirotti.

Ben Swift is ready to fight for more sprint wins in the Tour de France. Photo Fotoreporter Sirotti.

Team Sky Presents Roster for Tour de France 2011

Team Sky Procycling earlier today presented its nine-man roster for the 2011 Tour de France, starting on July 2 at the Passage du Gois.

Team Sky Procycling earlier today presented its nine-man roster for the 2011 Tour de France, starting on July 2 at the Passage du Gois.

Commenting on the team's chosen roster for this year's Tour de France, Team Sky General Manager Dave Brailsford told Roadcycling.com and our mobile sister site Roadcycling.mobi "This is a strong and balanced team with a real depth of talent to cater for all the challenges, from the team time trial to its high mountain finishes."

Brailsford has great faith in the team's riders after he witnessed strong performances by the riders in previous races this spring.

"The squad have raced and trained together consistently well and are full of confidence after excellent results at Bayern Rundfahrt and the Critérium du Dauphiné."

The Sky team will be headed by Team Sky captain Bradley Wiggins, who finished 4th in the 2009 Tour de France to equal the best ever Tour de France finish by a British rider, and recently won the prestigious Critérium du Dauphiné Libere.

According to Wiggins "The team is in great shape, full of confidence and riding well. We all want to put on a good show for our fans as their support for the team throughout this season has been incredible. It's going to be a great three weeks of racing." Wiggins remains reluctant when it comes to predicting his own performance in this year's Tour de France, however.

Wiggins will be joined by fellow Brit Geraint Thomas, who will be riding his third Tour de France, and Brit Ben Swift who will be making his debut in the Grand Tour event. Ben Swift has shown great talent this year with stage wins in both the 2011 Tour Down Under and the 2011 Amgen Tour of California.

"Competing in the Tour de France is what every young rider dreams of and I'm really excited about the challenge ahead. The team is riding well and we can't wait to get going against the world's best riders," Swift told Roadcycling.com.

"I am delighted that Ben Swift will be making his Tour debut, he is enjoying a breakthrough season with five wins already and he will absolutely thrive on this opportunity to test himself on the biggest stage of all," Brailsford said about the decision to include Ben Swift in the Tour team.

Talented young Norwegian Edvald Boasson Hagen will make his second Tour de France appearance after last year's debut where he secured two podium finishes. Boasson Hagen proved to be an important piece in the Team Sky puzzle during this month's Criterium du Dauphine Libere where he offered powerful support for team leader Wiggins. Joining him will be Colombia's Rigoberto Urán, both having proved key strengths in the mountains at the Critérium du Dauphiné Libere earlier this month.

The lineup features experienced Grand Tour riders in form of Spanish duo Juan Antonio Flecha, who will be making his ninth Tour de France appearance riding for more Tour de France stage victories, and Xabier Zandio, who has previously ridden in the event five times.

They will be joined by Germany's reigning National Road Race Champion Christian Knees, who will be riding in his ninth Grand Tour, and Simon Gerrans, a previous stage winner in all three Grand Tours. Gerrans won a Tour de France stage while riding for Cervelo TestTeam.

"There is a great blend of experience and youth in our squad. As well as riders like Bradley, Flecha, Simon, Christian and Xabier who have ridden the Grand Tours on numerous occasions, the line up also includes some of the pro road cycling peloton's brightest young talents in Edvald, Geraint, Rigoberto and Ben. We have a really exciting team that can't wait for the 2nd of July."

Stay tuned to Roadcycling.com and Roadcycling.mobi for extensive coverage of the 2011 Tour de France.